AdventureLive vs YB Tracking: race tracker or family page?

Is YB Tracking a rival to AdventureLive?

Not really. YB Tracking is built for race organisers and fleets. AdventureLive is built for the family of one adventurer. They answer different questions: "who is winning?" and "is my person safe, and what is the weather there?"

We make AdventureLive, so read our view with that in mind. What we say about YB comes from its own pages, linked under Sources. This guide is part of our comparison of the best live tracking for adventures.

At a glance

What does YB Tracking do best?

YB is the specialist for fleets. Its site lists the Rolex Fastnet, Sydney Hobart and Vendée Globe among the events it serves, plus adventure races, car rallies and expeditions. It says about 300 adventure races are tracked a year and that its rental fleet holds more than 2,100 trackers.

The race viewer is web and mobile based, with 3D maps. It has a public view and a race-committee-only view, multi-day tabs, sponsor and club logos, and replays after the event. The leaderboard is live, has groups, and applies handicaps automatically. AdventureLive has nothing like it, and does not try to.

The device is built for boats and rough use. The YB3 sends positions and short messages over Iridium and has a Red Button Alert, a timer alert and a dead man's switch. YB's page says its battery lasts up to three weeks when sending every 15 minutes, and that tracking can be set from every 5 seconds to every 12 hours. It is rated IP-67.

What does YB cost?

At the time of writing (2026), YB's YB3 page lists the handheld "from £449.00 + tax". Line rental is £18.00 a month with no annual contract. Message and position credits are sold in bundles, from £0.16 each (50 credits for £8.00) down to £0.05 each (20,000 credits for £990.00). The YB3i fixed unit and rentals have their own pricing; the rental page asks for a quote with your event dates and tracker count and says prices are all-inclusive. Check the current figures with YB before you plan a budget.

What does AdventureLive do best?

AdventureLive is for the people at home. It is free, thanks to ProLend, and it reads your own inReach, SPOT or Garmin LiveTrack. Followers open a link in any browser with no app and no account. They see the 3D map, the line you have actually travelled and your dot.

A leg can have no route at all. That suits an ocean row, a sailing passage or a long swim, and a six-week row is one leg. Followers also see the weather where you are, now and for 48 hours: wind, temperature, rain and storms, with safety alerts for strong wind, gales, severe cold, heat, heavy rain and thunderstorms. It does not show swell, waves or currents, so check marine forecasts for the sea.

You can name up to five home contacts. If your inReach or SPOT sends a HELP message, each gets an email with the time, the place on a map and the trip page. Rescue is run by Garmin Response or SPOT's GEOS centre, not by AdventureLive. See home contacts and plan a trip.

When should you choose YB Tracking?

Choose YB when:

• you are in a race or rally that uses it, and the rules say you carry its tracker;
• you organise a fleet and need a leaderboard, handicaps and replay;
• you want a device built for boats and a viewer for sponsors;
• you want a service built around events.

When should you choose AdventureLive?

Choose AdventureLive when:

• you carry your own inReach or SPOT and want your family to follow;
• you want the weather where you are on the same page;
• you want HELP emails to named people at home;
• you are on a trip, row or passage that is not a race;
• you want it free, apart from your tracker's plan.

Plan your trip to set one up.

Can you use both?

Yes. In a race, use YB as the rules require. That is the official record and the leaderboard. Then, if the race allows a personal tracker, link your own inReach or SPOT to AdventureLive and share that link with family. They get the weather where you are, HELP emails to home contacts and a page made for them, not for the fleet.

Check your race's rules on personal trackers first. If you are unsure, ask the organisers. For rowing and sailing guides, see ocean rowing live tracking. For choosing a device, read inReach vs SPOT vs ZOLEO. The forecast is a guide, not a guarantee, so check local and marine forecasts and warnings before you set out.